Knotting mechanism for knitting machines



a 5 1927 E. w. CLARKE KNOTTING MECHANISM FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed July 1, 1925 INVENTDB.

Patented Apr. 5, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR W. CLARKE, OF HAMILTON, GNTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR T-OIMERGURY M'IIiLS, 1

LIMITED, OF HAMILTON, CANADA.

KNOTTING MECHANISM FO R KNITTING MACHINES.

Application filed July 1,

This invention relates to knotting mechanism and more particularly to the type of knotter employed on knitting machines as shown in a prior application, Serial No. 7%,865, filed October 30th, 192 The bill hook of this knotter is well known in the art and is adapted to sever the threads and hold the severed ends during the formation of the loop which is drawn off the bill by a stripper also well known in the art. With this mechanism the loops are generally formed in a loose condition and are general- 1y. located close to the severed ends or tails which often results in the loops being pulled over the tails by a pull on the running threads, whereby the latter are disconnected.

My object is to provide simple means for overcoming the above objectionablefeature. Other objects I have in mind will hereinafter appear.

I attain my object by means of a brush adaptedto sweep over the bill hook and carry the loop along; the threads away from the bill hook thereby tending to close the loop and definitely position. it to form long tails whereby the loop may be tightened, by a pull on the running threads, without danger of their being disconnected. The constructions are hereinafter more fully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is aplan view of knotter mechanism showing my wiper attachment thereon, the partsbeing showniu their inoperative positions;

Fig.2. a similar view showing the loop on the bill hook and ready to be formed into a knot loop;

Fig. 3 a front elevation of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4: a detail on a large scale, illustrating the manner in which the loop is pushed along the threads away from the bill hook; and

Fig. 5 a view of the tied threads showing the long tails of the knot.

The knotter includes a bill hook K which is operated, by suitable mechanism (not shown), from the lever K. The said mechanism is provided with a cover K and is suitably carried on a frame 9 supported on standards 10 which are secured in any suitable manner to the frame of the knitting machine (not shown). The lever K is fulcrumed at K and is adapted to actuate the stripper K which grasps the threads being fed to the knitting machine needles (not 1925. Serial No. 40,877.

shown) while the bill hook is forming a loop knot, as hereinafter-described. An arm K having a pin and slot connection with the lever K is secured tothe upper end of a vertical spindle K journall'ed in'the frame 9. The lower end of" this spindle is journalled in any suitablepartand is provided with an arm K having'an anti fri c-tion roller adapted'tobe rocked by any'suitable mechanism. A spring (not shown) tends tohold the arms and lever in theirinoperativeposit-ions.

The thread parts to be tied are positioned against the shank of the bill hook and in the notch of the stripper as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The bill hooks used on knitting machines are each provided with a pivoted blade Ki adaptedto co-operate with the hook to sever the threads and hold the severed ends while the stripper K" draws-- the loop along the bill hook and over these ends to form a knot loop. This is shown in Fig. 2,

the several ends being held in front of the loop so that a pull on the latter by the stripper will draw the loop off the hook, the ends not being released until the pivoted blade is openedwhi ch occurs-after the stripper finishes its movement;

With this mechanism there are several objectionable features; firstly, the stripper does not alwayspull the loop off the hook due to the latter being rotated past-it's angle of discharge before the stripper actsonthe thread. In other words the bill hook must bepointed directly in line with the threadleading to the stripper when the pull is made or the loop will not slide oif the hook; Secondly, the loops, when pulled off the bill hook, are not properly tightened and are generally positioned close to the severed ends which forms short tails on the loose knots. The latter are sometimes tightened by'apuH: on the threads running tothe knitting needles, after the knots are released from the bill book, but this pull, inthe'majority of cases. results in the loops being pulled over the tails, thus disconnecting the running. threads instead of tightening the knots. Thirdly, when the knots areformed with short tails the latter are not caught bythe knitting needles and therefore are not stitched into the knitted goods which often results in the tails projecting on the outside of the finished goods.-

I overcome all the above objectionable features by providing a wiper adapted to sweep over the bill hook and push the loops away from the hook before the severed ends are disengaged from the latter. This wiper is formed as a brush A secured to an arm A pivoted on a bracket A which is secured to one of the standards 10. A spring A having one end secured to the standard and the other end connected with the arm A tends to return the brush to its original position. The lever K is provided with an arm A having a depending projection or pin A secured thereto, which is adapted to engage the arm A. The arm A is so positioned on the lever K that the latter is moved suificiently to actuate the knotter and the stripper to their usual relative positions for pulling the loop oil the bill hook before the brush is swept across the latter. The positions of the parts as just described are shown in Fig. 2. A further movement of the lever K causes the brush to sweep over the bill hook and push the loops over the severed ends, which are held by the hook, and along the threads towards the stripper. A knot loop is thus formed which is positively positioned a predetermined distance from the hook to form long tails as shown in Fig. l. As the brush pushes the loop along the threads it tends to close the loo and in practice it has been found that the majority of loop knots are completely closed by the brush. If a loop is very loosely formed on the bill hook and the brush does not completely tighten it, the brush at least forms long tails so that a jerk or pull on the running threads will permit the knot loop to be tightened as it is pulled towards the ends of the long tails.

It is obvious that the tails it they have sufiicient length to extend past two or three needles, as the knot is carried past the'latter, will be caught by the needles with the running threads and knitted into the fabric.

The bracket A is provided with two stop pins or abutments A and A adapted to limit the movement of the arm A in either direction.

hat I claim is:

1. The combination with a bill hook and a stripper for forming a loop knot in parallel thread parts, of means including a brush adapted to move the loop along the threads away from the bill hook and towards the stripper before the tails of the thread parts are disengaged from the bill hook whereby long tails are formed on the knot loo 3.

The combination with a bill hook for forming a loop knot in parallel thread parts; means for actuating the bill, of a movable brush adapted to sweep over the bill and carry the loop along the threads away from the bill hook; and means operable by the bill actuating means for operating the brush.

8. The combination with a bill hook for forming a loop knot in parallel thread parts, of a pivoted arm; a brush secured to the arm and adapted to sweep along the bill to carry the loop along the threads away from the bill hook; and means for swinging the arm to actuate the brush.

4. The combination with a bill hook for "lorn'ling a loop knot in parallel thread parts, of a bracket; an arm pivoted on the bracket; a brush secured to the arm and adapted to sweep along the bill to carry the loop along the threads away from the bill hook; spring means tending to maintain the brush in an inoperative position; and means for swinging the arm to actuate the brush.

5. The combination with a bill hook for forming a loop knot in parallel thread parts, of a bracket; an arm pivoted on the bracket; stop means for limiting the movement of the arm in one direction; a brush secured to the arm and adapted to sweep along the bill to carry the loop along the threads away from the bill hook; a spring connected with the arm anda stationary part tending to maintain the arm in engagement with the p stop means; and means for swinging the arm to actuate the brush.

6. The combination with a bill hook for forming a loop knot in parallel thread parts, of a bracket; an arm pivoted on the bracket; an abutment on the bracket for limiting the movement of the arm in one direction; a brush secured to the arm and adapted to sweep along the bill to carry the loop along the threads away from the bill hook; a spring connected with the arm and the bracket tending to maintain the arm in engagement with the abutment; and means including a lever adapted to actuate the bill hook and the arm to swing the brush over the bill hook.

7. The combination with a bill hook for forming a loop knot in parallel thread parts, of a bracket; an arm pivoted on the bracket; an abutment on the bracket for limiting the movement of the arm in one direction; a brush secured to the arm and adapted to sweep along the bill to carry the loop along the threads away from the bill hook; a spring connected with the arm and the bracket tending to maintain the arm in engagement with the abutment; and means including a lever adapted to actuate the bill hook, the lever having a depending projection adapted to engage the arm to swing the brush over the bill hook.

Signed.

EDGAR W. CLARKE. 

